People lying on mumsnet

[Shelly421]

Slightly light hearted but ive read a few threads where some posters sound completely implausible, think showing off about money or gifts or how attractive they are/how many men want them. I often think, are they just fantasists sitting at home making up the lives they want. I guess im asking, do others think like this and often read stuff here and think 'what a load of rubbish?

Yes. And the bots. Never believe anything you read on internet forums!

Of course. While I think there are some genuine folk, there are definitely others living in what I call fantasy land. There are also a group of wind up merchants. 🫣

Years ago therebwould be thenodd fruit loop making up BS. These days it feels 75% nut jobs or bots with a few sensible nice people in dispersed.

I think i can tell the bots or the wind ups because the latter always post around the early hours, say 1am! But what i find strange is the potential fantasists. Examples are recent Christmas threads, the spending of some sounds a bit like its what they dream of spending. The relationship threads, there are a few who keep on mentioning people who sound made up. Or men/women talk about how much attention they get every day, I mean does that really happen?

Or are these just planted journos trying to get stories

@Theonlyfatmiddleagedwomannotonmonjaro love your name, I thought that was me!

You’re still reading so whether it’s a fantasist or bot Mumsnet is still getting paid! I skim read a lot and get bored of posts easily. I’m abroad a lot so I tend to read and interact at odd UK times and because I’ve not spoke English for a while.

It’s not real life. It’s an anonymous forum. I don’t take it too seriously.

I enjoy reading the posts I click on most of the time the replies for the majority, I can take or leave. All with a pinch of salt.

I never believe anything I read on here since I saw someone I know dishing out relationship, life and parenting advice, when I know she cheated numerous times, her children were dragged up in a dirty filthy house, and her life is a train wreck of poverty/perpetually surviving on benefits/having children she cannot afford. Someone nobody should be taking advice from basically.

It's the internet and it's associated platforms where people have been known to lie both with words and/or pictures.

@Twodogsisbetterthanone exactly this, what drove this person to post this!

I am the opposite and assume most people don't. I don't lie, why would I ? Even if they do, why would I care.

I also think mumsnet post certain threads and comments that will get a reaction to boost interactions. How many threads do you read where the op writes the most random thing and then vanishes into thin air

I have often wondered if some are written by staff. Especially if it's been a quiet day on here. They know exactly what to write that will get lots of responses. Also, I read that there are people on Tattle life (not sure if that's what it's called?) who spur each other on to write a thread that will get the most amount of replies. So some posts are definitely made up.

You will find outright fantasists here, but more commonly I think people present themselves as they are 'on a good day' in terms of things like their parenting, their eating habits, their behaviour at work, their standard of housekeeping, especially when advising others.

Absolutely, I assume at least half the things I read on here are lies. The ones that make me chuckle are the ones where people say they are 45 but are frequently mistaken for being 20. Sure, it's very possible to look younger than your actual age but not 20+ years younger. They never posts pics when asked either 🤔

I think people who post that kind of thing don't realise that the people who tell them they look young for their age are probably being kind. If ever I am in the awkward position of having to estimate someone's age, I always knock at least 5 years off my lowest actual estimate, to be on the safe side.

Half the lies aren’t even true!

Yes, I often wonder if they genuinely believe it themselves or are just bragging. I would always knock off some years too but not a decade 😂 if you knock off too many years it makes it look obvious you are trying to appease them

Yes there are so many made up threads, spam/marketing people, bots and fantasists it's getting really annoying. Especially if i have taken time to reply. I am getting to the point where i can't be bothered.

They're attention seekers, probably don't get much in RL , and are anonymous on here

Who cares? I hate this obsession with bot/troll hunting on here. People love to think everything is fake and they're so clever because they spotted it. It's so boring and means really funny/entertaining threads get taken down so they can be looked into.

There are plenty of comparatively rich people on here, especially Londoners, I'm sure there are some attractive people and there are certainly people who spend what i consider silly amounts on Christmas (I live in the SE and know plenty of people like that). I also don't think it's that unusual for people to look quite a bit younger than they are, especially if they are short and slim, I have a friend who lives abroad now but looks nothing like the 50 she is, certainly she looks a decade younger.

If you think something is fake just move on, you don't have to engage. But just because something doesn't reflect your reality doesn't mean it isn't true.

All the exceptionally leafy very rural areas, with artisan grocers and milk deliveries, are packed out with exceptionally young-looking Mumsnet contributors who drink a drip of wine a month.

I'm stunningly beautiful, teeny tiny and richer than Scrooge McDuck due to my ten figure salary. I totally agree that people lie on the internet.

I believe that there will be a percentage of lies on here, but I wouldn’t be able to estimate how large.
However I don’t necessarily class what would at first glance appear far-fetched to me as a lie.
I have learnt from this site a lot about how people live and what they think and even if a proportion of it is not truthful, that in itself is a statement .

I also have realised that the way I live is not an “average way of doing things” and that if I make a contribution to add a slightly different insight into something, then I suspect someone may think my post could be “a lie” when actually it isn’t.

Yes, same here. It's irritating when someone posts a very outlandish post and people take time to offer genuine advice and then they never return and it's deleted for being a PBP. Complete waste of everyone's time

I've been on and off of mumsnet for a while and I have has the experience of not being believed when I was talking about not surviving on universal credit I think people just thought how can I not work then have the audacity to moan bout money and so they thought I wasn't genuine. I see it a lot on here I think part of it is the class divide which can make it hard for some people to relate at times.